As the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 kicks off in Vienna, Austria, 35 countries are competing for the coveted trophy, with performances watched by an estimated 166 million viewers worldwide. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the iconic music competition. While five nations—Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia—have boycotted due to Israel's continued participation, three countries return: Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania. Current odds favor Finland, Greece, and Denmark as potential winners.
Reality TV Backgrounds
Among the 2026 participants, 19 have previously appeared on singing competitions such as Idol, The Voice, and X Factor. Here is a breakdown of these artists and their paths to Eurovision.
Greece – Akylas
The 27-year-old Greek singer-songwriter gained fame in 2021 through TikTok covers before competing in season 8 of The Voice of Greece.
Finland – Pete Parkkonen
Pete Parkkonen, a Finnish singer, rose to prominence in 2008 as a contestant on Finnish Idol season 4. Despite being a favorite, he finished third. He now performs Liekinheitin with violinist Linda Lampenius and is among the top contenders.
Montenegro – Tamara Živković
Tamara Živković, 26, was a finalist in season 15 of Serbian show Zvezde Granda in 2022 and earlier participated in junior contest Pinkove Zvezdice. She represents Montenegro with Nova zora.
Israel – Noam Bettan
Noam Bettan won season 12 of Rising Star earlier this year, earning his Eurovision spot. He also placed third on Aviv or Eyal in 2018.
Belgium – Essyla
Alice Van Eesbeeck, known as Essyla, was a finalist on The Voice Belgique season 9, finishing as runner-up to Jérémie Makiese (Belgium's 2022 Eurovision representative). Her song is Dancing on the Ice.
Bulgaria – Dara
Dara reached the final of The X Factor Bulgaria in 2015, placing third. Since 2021, she has been a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria. Her Eurovision entry is Bangaranga.
Azerbaijan – Jiva
Jamila Hashimova, performing as Jiva, won season 3 of The Voice of Azerbaijan last year. She will sing Just Go in the second semi-final.
Romania – Alexandra Căpitănescu
Alexandra Căpitănescu, 22, won The Voice of Romania in 2023. Her Eurovision song is Choke Me.
Armenia – Simón
Simon Hovhannisyan, a singer-songwriter and dancer, was runner-up in Depi Evratesil last year. He performs Paloma Rumba.
Switzerland – Veronica Fusaro
Veronica Fusaro participated in The Voice of Switzerland, reaching the Knockout stage. She represents the host country with Alice.
Latvia – Atvara
Liene Atvara Stūrmane, known as Atvara, competed in season 1 of X Faktors (Latvian X Factor) in 2017. Her song is Ēnā.
Albania – Alis
Alis won season 5 of X Factor Albania in 2023. He performs Nân.
Malta – Aidan
Aidan participated in the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest (2015), Malta Eurovision Song Contest (2018), and X Factor Malta before winning the 2026 Maltese selection with Bella.
Norway – Jonas Lovv
Jonas Lovv auditioned for Idol in 2014 and later reached the semi-final of The Voice Norway last year. His song Ya Ya Ya was selected for Eurovision.
France – Monroe
French-American singer Monroe won Prodiges last year, earning a scholarship and recording contract. As a Big Five member, she advances directly to the Grand Final with Regarde!
Germany – Sarah Engels
Sarah Engels rose to fame on season 8 of Deutschland sucht den Superstar in 2011. She represents Germany with Fire.
Italy – Sal Da Vinci
Sal Da Vinci (Salvatore Michael Sorrentino) won the Sanremo Music Festival 2026 with Per sempre sì. In 1992, he competed in Una voce per Sanremo on the variety show Domenica in.
Austria – Cosmó
The 19-year-old Cosmó auditioned for The Voice Kids Germany in 2020 but was eliminated in the second round. He performs Tanzschein for the host nation.
Australia – Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem, a coach on The Voice Australia from 2012 to 2020, represents Australia. She worked on eight seasons of the main show and one of The Voice Kids.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 runs from May 12 to 16 in Vienna.
